Our Executive Leadership Team

Chelydra joined GNS in May 2023, after nine years as Group Chief Executive of BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand). In that role, Chelydra oversaw both divisions of the organisation – BRANZ Inc and BRANZ Limited – as well as the subsidiary of BRANZ which operates out of Australia. She led a team of over 130 people, including 12 direct reports.

Chelydra’s career has seen her work with a range of technology, education, and research organisations over the last 25 years, nationally and internationally. She has significant experience in the CRI sector, having held senior roles at Callaghan Innovation, AgResearch, and Scion. She has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington.

Peter re-joined GNS Science in 2018 after previously working for the organisation in the 1990s.  He is General Manager Science and Commercial Operations, responsible for GNS’ science, geohazard monitoring and event response, as well as the organisation’s commercial business development and commercialisation activities.  Peter has more than 30 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors, leading science teams and commercialising R&D.  He has established several large R&D programmes involving international partners.    

Prior to re-joining GNS Science, Peter was Chief Executive at the Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation, Connexis. Peter has held senior management roles at the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, AgResearch, and Opus International.

BE (Hons), University of Auckland; DipBusAdmin, Victoria University of Wellington

Trish came to GNS from Nelson Marlborough District Health Board where she held the role of GM People & Capability. She has over 20 years’ experience in executive leadership across industries in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in both New Zealand and Australia. She has a Master of Management from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. At GNS, Trish is responsible for the people-centric functions of HR and Health & Safety along with key organisation enablers Communications, Administration and Stakeholder Relations.

Te Whanau a Tāpuhi, Ngāti Porou

Tania joined GNS Science in November 2018. She is responsible for the development and management of our external relationships and partnerships, including with government, iwi/Māori and industry. Tania’s role recognises the interconnectedness of the science system and her team is keenly focused on the benefits our research must deliver to both end users and New Zealand communities.

Tania is leading GNS Science through a period of transformative change, creating a new Māori Strategy. This will guide our long-term approach to iwi/Māori research and innovation, workforce development, and partner, industry and community engagement. Linked to this is the rollout of the organisation’s new Stakeholder Relationship Strategy and its continued Vision Mātauranga activities. 

Prior to joining GNS Science, Tania was Acting Director of Water at the Ministry for the Environment. Here she also held roles specialising in iwi rights and interests, and water rights and interests. She has also held senior roles at the Waitangi Tribunal, the Office of Treaty Settlements, and Ministry for Primary Industries/Fisheries.

Tania is currently the Chair of Te Ara Pūtaiao, the pan-Crown Research Institute Māori Leadership Group, and she is an Associate of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

BA, University of Otago

Richard joined GNS in 2008 upon his return to Aotearoa following 15-years in the United States where he was engaged in Antarctic research. Richard is a glacial stratigrapher and paleoclimatologist, whose work to understand climate change is widely respected in New Zealand and around the world. As well as providing strategic science advice and guidance at GNS, Richard is also a Professor of Geoscience at Victoria University of Wellington. His passion for discovery is evidenced through his leadership of major climate research projects in Antarctica and New Zealand, including the New Zealand SeaRise, Our Changing Coast, and Antarctic Ice Dynamics programmes, which aim to predict the magnitude and impacts of sea level rise on New Zealand communities.

Richard is committed to actively engaging people in science and to that end, he has worked extensively with Maori, iwi, hapu, and whanau on a range of climate-related programmes. His background and interest in education has helped develop projects that support New Zealanders to explore science relevant to their communities.

Richard is also a member of the Melting Ice and Rising Seas team, which was awarded the Prime Minister’s Science Prize in 2020 in recognition of their “transformative scientific discovery or achievement, which has had a significant economic, health, social, and/or environmental impact on New Zealand.”

BSc, MSc, (Geology) Victoria University of Wellington; PhD (Geoscience) University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Master’s in Science Teaching (Curriculum and Instruction) University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Kaetrin came to GNS Science from BRANZ where she held the role of GM Corporate Services / CFO. She has over 20 years of executive leadership experience across a broad range of listed (NZX and FTSE), private, not-for-profit and public benefit organisations in New Zealand and the UK. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant (FCA) and Associate Member of the Institute of Directors.

Sheena is Interim General Manager Research, Strategy and Partnerships at GNS Science, where she leads the organisation’s research direction and strategy, innovation, business development and the generation of new revenue streams. She was previously the Commercial and Business Partnerships Manager, leading the teams responsible for commercialisation of research IP, as well as business partnerships both locally and internationally.

Prior to joining GNS in 2022, Sheena was Strategy Manager at Z Energy, where she led the strategy development and delivery of low carbon fuel options including hydrogen, biofuels and synthetic fuels.

Sheena holds a BA (Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington.